Van der Linde broke his leg during a Super 14 practice session in Sydney when he tried to tackle winger Gavin Passens.

“We fell badly and both our weight was on my leg,” Van der Linde told Rapport. “The leg is broken between the knee and ankle. The doctor put the leg in a splint straight away, which I’ll have to wear for four to six weeks – it wasn’t neccessary to put it in a plaster cast.

“After the splint is removed I will have to wait another two weeks before I can start training again, so it could be another 12 weeks in total before I start playing again.”

Van der Linde hopes to keep himself strong in the gym and be ready for the start of the Boks’ Tri-Nations campaign against Australia in Brisbane on 15 July.

In the meantime, Bok coach Jake White will be considering his alternatives.

“In the matches I’ve played so far two props have really impressed me,” said Van der Linde. “Jannie du Plessis, my team-mate at the Cheetahs, and the Sharks’ BJ Botha are both guys who Jake can throw into the deep end.”